Almost 3M People Visited South Florida's National Parks In 2014
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HOMESTEAD(CBSMiami/AP) — Almost three million people visited South Florida's national parks, generating over $231 million for the local economy last year, the National Park Service said.
Federal officials say over 1.1 million people visited Everglades National Park, spending over $104 million in nearby communities. Over half a million people visited Biscayne National Park, spending over $32 million.
Dry Tortugas National Park had over 64,000 visitors who spent over $3 million in the Florida Keys and other South Florida communities. The Big Cypress National Preserve saw over a 1.1 million visitors who spent over $91 million.
According to the park service, visitors to South Florida's national parks supported 3,380 jobs. Across the country, visitors to national parks spent $15.7 billion in local communities on lodging, food, gasoline, park fees and souvenirs.
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